Ever wondered what Bethesda’s mighty and magnificent RPG Skyrim might look like if given an Old School Runescape-style visual overhaul? Now you don’t have to – one creator has released a mod that reduces the textures of Tamriel’s land of the Nords to 1×1 files, giving it Old School-esque simplified visuals – and it apparently helps improve performance, too.
The ‘Pixelrim – Skyrim Ultra Reduced Textures’ mod by user 189324 “shrinks down all textures to 1×1 files (except for actor files)” even including some similarly adapted texture files for other Skyrim mods too, so you should be able to get your game looking streamlined in all its visually simplified glory. The creator notes a sense of “artistic appeal” the mod offers, which looking at the accompanying pictures, it does – though the modder doesn’t reference Jagex’s game, it looks like Skyrim reimagined as a classic RPG, like Runescape.
The creator also highlights that the game “greatly improves fps (15-20 fps),” which means that those with older desktop PCs and laptops might benefit. The mod is also compatible with all versions of Skyrim Special Edition, according to the mod details.
If you’re tempted to see the mod in action, check out the images on the mod’s page over at Nexus Mods – you can see shots of some key Skyrim locations like Whiterun, Solitude, Bleak Falls Barrow, and even Ulfberth War-Bear watching over weapon store Warmaiden’s, given the 1×1 treatment.
If you’re keen to overhaul your game, just to be sure to follow the modder’s instructions on how to get it installed correctly and transform it into ‘Pixelrim.’
If Skyrim modding is your thing, check out our list of the 100 best Skyrim mods out there to help you get tweaking and tinkering with the game to your heart’s content.